ircle. He was too
shy to mingle in general talk, but sat with an air of acute observation,
with a dry smile playing over his face; later on, when the circle
diminished, it pleased him to retail the incautious statements made by
various members of the party, and correct them with much acerbity.
There are few things more terrific than a man who is both speechless and
distinguished. I have known several such, and their presence lies like a
blight over the most cheerful party. It is unhappily often the case that
shyness is apt to exist side by side with considerable ability, and a
shy man of this type regards distinction as a kind of defensive armour,
which may justify him in applying to others the contempt which he has
himself been conscious of incurring. One of the most disagreeable men I
know is a man of great ability, who was bullied in his youth. The result
upon him has been that he tends to believe that most people are inspired
by a vague malevolence, and he uses his ability and his memory, not to
add to the pleasure of a party, but to make his own power felt. I have
seen this particular man pass from an ungainly speechlessness into
brutal onslaughts on inoffensive persons; and it is one of the most
unpleasant transformations in the world. On the other hand, the modest
and amiable man of distinction is one of the most agreeable figures it
is possible to encounter. He is kind and deferential, and the indulgent
deference of a distinguished man is worth its weight in gold.

I was lately told a delightful story of a great statesman staying with
a humble and anxious host, who had invited a party of simple and
unimportant people to meet the great man. The statesman came in late
for dinner, and was introduced to the party; he made a series of
old-fashioned bows in all directions, but no one felt in a position
to offer any observations. The great man, at the conclusion of the
ceremony, turned to his host, and said, in tones that had often
thrilled a listening senate: "What very convenient jugs you have in your
bedrooms! They pour well!" The social frost broke up; the company were
delighted to find that the great man was interested in mundane matters
of a kind on which every one might be permitted to have an opinion, and
the conversation, starting from the humblest conveniences of daily
life, melted insensibly into more liberal subjects. The fact is that,
in ordinary life, kindness and simplicity are valued far more than
brill